Not sure if it's been mentioned yet ... another occasional plus to saunas is something that happens when you need a cheap place to sleep overnight, whether it's when backpacking around the country or just when you live far enough away from where you were drinking that you can't afford a taxi home. Yeah, they have sleeping rooms.

Used to live in Gimpo and when I wanted to come out to Itaewon and (usually) didn't want to call it a night at 9:45pm, I sometimes went to a little sauna off the side street behind Gecko's. It costs 7,000 won, way cheaper than a yogwan but no, it was not comfortable, just a blanket and a thin mat and drunken Korean guys stumbling over you as you sleep. In fact, I found that I needed to have a bit to drink to numb myself enough that I didn't notice it ... but taxi fare home home was over 40,000 won that year so it was a bargain. AND you get a nice bath when you wake up.

Joined: 23 Feb 2003Location: The realisation that I only have to endure two more weeks in this filthy, perverted, nasty place!

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2003 2:49 am Post subject:

What about the staring? I get stared at enough with my clothes on. I hate to think what it would be like once i'm naked. What are other chicks experiences? my boss has said she goes every sunday, and has invited me to go with her, but i am rather nervous about wandering around naked with everybody pointing and looking at me.

There is nothing worse than having light-coloured pubic hairs and a larger than average "you-know-what" and having panzy Korean men staring at and talking about your hardware like a drooling Liberace fan.

I have medium brown hair and a bigger than average chest and my body doesn't really get stared at. The only thing is that kids do stare at my face.

Everyone who goes to a mogyotang has a different body type and I guess mine's not so weird after all. No one has ever touched me or bothered me when I've gone. But then maybe women are just more reserved than men.

I heard a story about this chick from South Africa who went to a bath house in Seoul. She was scrubbing away when an ajima pulled out a camera and took a photo of her!!! That story has well and truly put me off going to a bath house!

I'm with the Wall on this one: I used to go pretty regularily, and loved it, but having guys check out and comment on my tackle every single time became a bit much. They wouldn't even look at my face for christ's sake. So I'd stare back in the same fashion. It is true, you know, what they say about Asian measurements . . .

When I arrived in this place and the foreign teacher said - let's go to the sauna, I had no idea. Frankly, the thought of getting naked with other ladies was not appealing. And, to top it off I wear glasses. The thought of me sitting naked in the shower with my glasses on nearly had me on the floor with laughter. But the foreign teacher convinced me, I put in the contacts, and now I'M HOOKED. It was pretty stange at the beginning seeing so many naked woman. I still remember thinking, as I am walking into the sauna, is there something I have forgoten - it felt strange to be so naked!

I have been to some fancy (9000 W) saunas - some that looked liked they used Liberace's decorator - but they are fantastic. I think a list of places in towns is a great idea. Somebody organize it.

Anyhoots, here's the procedure for the ladies:

Pay your cash
Pick up a collection of face masks, shower oil, hair conditioner, yougurt etc . from the counter - you can grab an iced tea/coffee/water too
You will get a locker key
Get naked
put locker key around ankle or as hair ornament (i.e. pony tail holder)
Grab two towels
Deposit your cleansing goodies somewhere in the shower room
Get clean (really make a show of lathering up and showering off)
Wrap on towel around you hair
Hot pool (as hot as you can stand)
Wet sauna
Use other towel to sit on
sit a few minutes
rub salt on body, feet, etc. (not face unless you have the fancy jade salt)
Sweat (as long as you can tolerate)
rinse off (I use the cold shower right outside the door of the sauna - look for a string and showerhead on the ceiling)
then dry sauna or wet sauna again (your pleasure)
Cold pool if you can (yipes!)

If you are at one of the co-ed saunas with shorts and t-shirt and a meeting area then go back and get changed into the shorts/t-shirt and meet your party in the common area. Enjoy iced coffee, ice cream, bibimpap etc, different saunas (warm, somewhat hot and the iced sauna {it had ice on the walls, I swear})

Back in the same sex sauna now...

Add in extra hot tub soak and cold pool again if you like
Grab the facial pack, apply
Then lay on the heated tiles for as long as you want
Now, the toilettte
Se if you can get a little seat and place your self in front on one of the mirrors, you need a small bucket
fill bucket with a bit of water and wet your scrubby
now scrub with the hand scrubby - only a touch of soap and SCRUB - you should see skin coming off like a bad sunburn, keep dipping the scrubbie to rinse off the skin
After you rinse off, and rinse the facial off, apply the yougurt
wash body/hair leisurely
gather up your stuff
head for the clean towels,
dry off,
apply the free toner and creams,
head back to your locker,
snack if you want, watch tv etc.
pack up and go home.

Remember to drink lots of water

Love the place. No weird experiences. One ajumma tried to pick off my tattoo - but that's pretty mild. Now I just walk around with my towel dangling over it but it's not a big deal.

The big plus - the most fantastic, soft, clear skin. It took about three goes but now - I swear my skin has never been better (great - and the boyfrind remains in the homecountry )

Joined: 11 Feb 2003Location: Korea Korea you remind me of a west side story....

Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 8:08 pm Post subject:

I'll add my quick two cents. I love the bathhouse. Same, at first, I was so hesitant... Just to be naked in front of so many strangers. And yes my chest is noticeably larger than any Korean woman I've ever met. So there were body issues, but I went with a friend one time and have no qualms about returning (and have since that time).

The first two times I didn't wear my contacts (because of all the steam), so it was actually good not being able to see anything in close focus. And not being able to notice if anyone was really staring. But the funny part was, I was stared at less than when I have clothes on. A little akward meeting another foreigner there, but I've experienced weirder things in Korea. Had a blast befriending some young girls and playing around and showing them some swimming moves (in the cool pool).

So my advice. You've got to experience a bathhouse AT LEAST once while in Korea. If you don't like it, then fine. But I'm sure a lot of people will find they love it and go back again and again. So try to go when you first get here and not towards the end of your contract, because you will probably regret not going earlier. I know I did.

And my 02. worth. Korean bathhouses? Dirty. Think abut this for a minute.
The hot and cold pools. The water is NOT filtered. You have people who scrub their body and DON'T rinse off and still jump into the pools. I've seen it and I'm sure you have also. Leave the sauna, sweat pouring off you and hop into the cold pool! I have never seen a sauna in korea that filters the water. It gets changed once or twice a day. Japan? Yes the water is filtered and cleaned. Not korea. I know a few people who caught the crabs in these saunas. The blankets in the sleeping rooms are not washed daily. The towels that the saunas give you to dry off usually are not washed in hot water. I'm not bad mouthing korea saunas, I have been to a few but most are dirty. Even the fancy looking saunas that are expensive to enter do not filter the hot/cold pool water. People are peeing in them also. I'd think twice. The saunas are good things but many are lacking customers who use good hygiene. If you are lucky enough, you might have been using one when it was being cleaned. I was and never did return.

Particularly, I've always been a little apprehensive about the whole thing of going to a spa. All of the other waygooks are talking about how there's the whole "people comment on my 'Western-sized' tool". This causes apprehension because as a waygook, I have a smaller-than-average. So, I may get some "why is he so small for being white?" comments. It's all silly insecurity but alas...

I usually finish off by eating a few hard boiled eggs and drinking some Bacchus-F. Yeah, I know the stuff ain't healthy (I hear there's nicotine in it, yeah, sure why not drink a cigarette?) but it wakes me up in the heald while still leaving the body relaxed and, of course, clean.

I usually finish off by eating a few hard boiled eggs and drinking some Bacchus-F. Yeah, I know the stuff ain't healthy (I hear there's nicotine in it, yeah, sure why not drink a cigarette?) but it wakes me up in the heald while still leaving the body relaxed and, of course, clean.

no, that's niacin, aka "nicotinic acid".

I've been schooled on this since I posted that, and I still enjoy the little brown bottle once in a while, anyway ...

I have been going to the bathhouse for over a year now with my Korean bath house buddy. The only hard and fast rule in the bath house is that you gotta be squeaky clean before you hop into the hot tubs or cold pools. So don't be shy and lather up all your unmentionables and rinse well. (The same rules apply for Japanesse bath houses) The salt in the saunas can be applied all over your body and you can bring drinks into the sauna.

You can also get a wonderful full body exfoliation and a massage as well. (The reason why your Korean girlfriend has wonderfuly soft skin) But be aware they do go right up your leg.

I have had some wonderful massages at the bathouse. The scrubs and massages are more expensive but worth it!!

I like going with a friend. It's a nice place to relax and gossip!

So, all of us white ladies all have rough skin, huh? Just like we are all fat, huh? Don't think so, buddy. You can get soft skin in other ways, too. Believe me.